One For The Road: Happy Birthday, Daley!
By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 24, 2012 10:40PM
Today Mayor Richard M. Daley turns 70 years old. What would you get Hizzoner for his birthday? We have some ideas, and we should probably try to purchase them all at one of his favorite Chicago Wal-Marts. How could we possibly outdo the rubber stamps the City Council gave him for all those years? Then again, it looks like he regifted that one to Rahm.
- A gift basket of "Chicago 2016" Olympics gear with a bonus chocolate Olympic medal.
- A sandbox-sized Meigs Field with his very own Pow-Pow-Power Wheels bulldozer.
- Mud flaps for his truck that say "For Hire".
- His own parking space in front of City Hall, with a meter from the late 20th Century.
- A framed photo of his father, Richard J., taken by Art Shay.
WLS 890AM radio newsman Bill Cameron put together a nice present for Daley. He started reporting in 1970, so he has a treasure trove of Daley recordings. In 1979 he produced a vinyl LP of Richard J.'s soundbites, and now he has compiled Richard M. Daley's greatest soundbite hits. It includes classics like “I’m pro death,” and “There are no excuses for children to learn,” plus that time he threatened to stick a rifle up a reporter's butt. The Sun-Times writes:
“Mayor Daley’s Greatest Hits with Bill Cameron” isn’t just a laugh at Chicago’s longest serving mayor. The recordings capture the Mayor Daley’s essence — he’s a regular guy who isn’t afraid to show his emotions, or his Bridgeport temper for that matter.
Tune in to WLS 890AM on Sunday at 6 a.m., or Cameron expects the recording to be available for download next week.